On August 6, the MMORPG Legends of Aria was released in Early Access on Steam. We took a look at the first reactions and will tell you what the game does well and where its weaknesses lie.
What is Legends of Aria? Legends of Aria is a sandbox MMORPG where you have to set your own goals to enjoy the game world.
Your character has no class; instead, you improve it by leveling skills. You can also avoid combat and pursue your path as a merchant or craftsman.
Originally, the MMORPG was known as Shards Online and relied on community-created servers. Players were supposed to set their own rules and modify stories and quests.
This system is still present in Legends of Aria, although the developers have created their own world in which you can let loose.
How is Legends of Aria rated on Steam? Currently, the reviews for the MMORPG are very balanced. 55% of the 125 ratings are positive.
However, the number is still low, and many reviews are based on experiences players have had outside of Steam. The game has been playable for supporters who invested money earlier for a significantly longer time.
Is Legends of Aria an Ultima Online 2.0?
How is Legends of Aria structured? In the reviews, the comparison to Ultima Online is often drawn. The reason for this is the many freedoms and the sandbox aspect.
- CUFreeze: “As a former UO player, the game is really super. It’s like turning back time – just paired with more modern graphics.”
- Deathsummer: “The game is a mix of Runescape and Ultima Online.”
- User Sanitarium666 highlights the crafting system and housing. However, he also warns players that they will hardly be guided and have to set their goals entirely on their own.
- Player Kugelfang goes even further and points out that the game also involves grind. While necessary, he believes it doesn’t result in significant time pressure or stress.
- The fact that the entry can be really tough is also confirmed by the review from Werfgun. He finds the game too difficult and is also unhappy with the graphic style. The game already seems old to him and thus doesn’t make a good impression.
The highlight is the mods
What do the positive reviews highlight particularly? Besides the many freedoms in the sandbox game, the community servers and the associated mods are especially praised.
As user Stimwalt writes:
Most people who rate the game have no idea that it is actually a platform game. Community modders can create their own world within the Legends of Aria engine. Their games can be completely different from the official LoA. […]
And there are already servers [..] that use the original ruleset and gameplay from Ultima Online. Players just have to go to the community tab after logging in and select “Legends of Ultima.”
This opinion is shared by many other users. Felty256 even goes so far as to try to make Legends of Aria an RTS game with his own creatures.
What about PvP? In the positive reviews, much is also discussed about the latest changes to PvP. The developers have declared many mid-game areas in the official Legends of Aria as safe zones with consensual PvP.
Some players appreciate this change, who would rather focus on crafting. They do not understand why one must attack and even kill weaker players.
Others criticize this and at the same time accuse the developers of being aimless.
Developers give a clueless impression
Where is Legends of Aria headed? Many players wonder what the actual goal of the MMORPG is. Originally, only community servers were planned, but now Legends of Aria offers its own world.
This world initially resembled Ultima Online quite a bit, but many recent changes are moving the game in a different direction. The reduction of open-world PvP is seen by many as a dagger in the back of the game’s original concept.
User IDiivil writes:
The developers have no real vision for the game. Their plans are based on aimless feedback implemented in the worst form.
The Archery Tamer was too strong a build and the developers weakened it so much that it became useless due to movement delays, halved damage, and missing skills.
This happened not only with that build but with every other system in the game.
Janus10 describes Legends of Aria as a game where he cannot explain why it does not feel good for him. All areas are unfinished, and it lacks a sense of reward. In his view, the game could still develop positively in the future.
Some backers are particularly disappointed
Why are LoA backers disappointed? Some players invested a lot of money in Legends of Aria beforehand. While you currently only have to pay 16.49 euros for the Early Access on Steam, some of them spent 100 dollars or more.
For this, they were also promised special items and benefits that are still not in the game today. Backers were supposed to have a head start that was reset with a rollback.
Also, the delay of the Steam release, which was originally planned for December 4, 2018, still lingers for some.
What about the performance of LoA? With new games in Early Access, performance is always closely scrutinized. This seems to not be a complete disaster for Legends of Aria, but users complain they cannot get beyond 15 or 20 FPS.
What has been your experience with Legends of Aria so far? Have you ever visited a community server yourself?
